Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat in an individual has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on the individual's health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. A measurement index, known as the Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated based on the weight and height of an individual. Generally, an individual having a BMI above 30 kg/m2 is considered obese. Obesity is most commonly caused by a number of factors that may include consumption of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, medication side effects, genetic susceptibility, and/or through a combination of these factors. Typically, an obese individual encounters an increased susceptibility to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, severe heart conditions, breathing problems, etc., further fueling the development of an undesirable lifestyle, which may include issues of body fatigue, weariness, depression, sleep disorder, and the like. Such conditions may result in adverse effects on the individual's physical and mental health, reducing the individual's participation in physical, social, and other day-to-day activities, thus reducing life expectancy.
On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by six to seven years, and in light of the above noted health conditions, obesity has become a leading preventable cause of death worldwide. With an ever-increasing noted prevalence in adults, children, and elders, many categorize it among the most serious of public health problems. The WHO estimated in 2005 that at least 400 million adults (9.8% worldwide) were obese. Further, according to a report submitted by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 34% of adults and 17% of children in the United States were obese in 2007-2008. More specifically, in the United States alone, more than 10 million people are reportedly obese, out of which, obesity has been estimated to cause up to 365,000 deaths per year, while approximately 150,000 people undergo obesity related treatments every year.
Bariatric (or weight loss) surgery is one such commonly performed obesity related treatment, which is commonly applied to handle cases of severe obesity. Severe obesity defines individuals having a BMI greater than 40 kg/m2. The most common bariatric surgery is referred to as Roux-en-Y (depicted in FIG. 1), in which a small gastric pouch (approximately 25% of the stomach's size) and an alimentary limb (Roux limb) are created and is operably anastomosed to each other, and thereafter, to the patient's jejunum, bypassing one part of the small intestine. Other bariatric surgeries include sleeve gastrectomy and/or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (depicted in FIG. 2), in which, the stomach size is reduced by about 80% of the actual size through surgical procedures. This forms a thin sleeve like stomach, which provides reduced capacity for food intake. Such surgery bypasses the majority of the intestine by connecting the end portion of the intestine to the duodenum near the stomach (biliopancreatic diversion).
These weight-loss surgeries are observed to be effective, but carry along a list of health related risks that range from malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, etc. Long-term studies however propose that weight loss experienced by the patient in such surgeries is significant. Further, improvements such as recovery from diabetes, improvement in cardiovascular health, and a reduction in mortality of 23% to 40%, have been observed as well.
Reportedly, postoperative gastric leaks occur in about 2% to 3% of bariatric surgeries, but the actual number may be higher because of underreporting. Gastric leaks mostly occur at the portion where the gastric pouch is stapled or surgically joined to a connective tissue, and at the gastrojejunal anastomosis, which establishes the surgical connection between the stomach and the jejunum. Additionally, gastric leaks have also been reported at the junction between the gastric pouch and the esophagus, commonly referred generally to as the Z-line. Such leaks are one of the most dreaded complications that may accompany a bariatric surgery, and in general, is one of the major causes of increased morbidity and mortality rates in obese patients undergoing such treatments. Treatments for medical conditions such as these commonly include site drainage with parenteral nutrition and bowel rest, other endoscopic methods, re-operation, etc., all of which are known to include drawbacks.